Skipper's Curse
by PB7
Summary: (THIS IS A SKILENE FAN FICTION.) Why has Skipper never admitted to his feelings for Marlene? This story is written in first-person and through Skipper's eyes, you can see not only how he feels about Marlene, but how he feels about everyone in the zoo. They're all a family. And it's Skipper's job to protect them.
1. Through My Eyes

I opened my eyes at the sound of the morning alarm resounding at precisely 0600. Already, I was wide awake. My webbed feet found the concrete floor of HQ and I made my way to the coffee pot; I can't start my day without it. After I filled my mug and added a fish, I realized that my team hadn't woken up yet.

"Rise and shine, boys!" I ordered flipping the light switch. Kowalski, Rico, and Private groaned and turned away or covered their face with a pillow in response. I rolled my eyes. "I told you boys that if you didn't turn off the television and hit the sack, you'd be too tired to wake up this morning. But did you listen to me?"

"Sorry, Skipper," Private replied sitting up and rubbing his eyes, "we thought seven hours would be enough."

Kowalski finally worked up the strength to pull himself into a sitting position. He must have forgotten that he was on the top bunk, because when he swung his legs over, he fell straight to the floor with a _thud_.

"Ouch…" he said as he pushed himself to his feet.

I waited for Rico to force himself up as well, but he simply pulled himself into a tight ball with a moan and continued to sleep.

"C'mon soldier. Front and center," I ordered.

"No!" Rico disobeyed.

"Rico, front and center, or no weapons testing for a month," I threatened. It certainly did the trick; he sat up so fast his head hit the bottom of the bunk above him.

"What?!" he protested rubbing his head.

"I'm sorry, Rico. But I warned you this would happen. Maybe next time, you'll listen to me," I told him before taking another sip of coffee.

With another groan, Rico dropped to the floor from the second bunk and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"That's better. And I know just what will wake you three right up. I want thirty laps around the pond, stat!" I could tell that they were about to protest, but they were able to hold themselves back from their immediate reaction and saluted my command.

"Sir, yes, sir," they said simultaneously, though I could sense a touch of irritation being choked back down. I dismissed it. If they wanted to waste their energy on being mad at me, so be it. As I told them, I had warned them about being tired, and now they had to face the consequences whether they were happy with them or not. They would just have to get over it.

I don't like having my team upset with me. They're more than a team; they're my brothers, my family. But, unfortunately, leading this unit has its downsides. I've got to keep order, and I have to be sure that whatever needs to be done, gets done. If that means finding ways to discipline them for their actions, then it's just something they—and myself—just have to live with.

I watched them as they swam by me for the fourth time. I could tell that they had already woken up some; their eyes were wide and alert and I was pretty sure they were moving faster. I glanced up at the horizon where the sun was a growing semi-circle, with orange, red, yellow, and blue accompanying its ascent. It was about 0645 by then. I gulped down the last of my coffee and set my mug next to the hatch.

It took about another hour for my team to reach thirty laps, which meant that it was almost opening time. Luckily, it was Saturday, so closing time was at 1200 sharp. My team emerged from the water, dripping, panting, and exhausted. The sun was now fully visible in the sky and warmed up the new day.

"Alright, now that that's over with, the zoo is opening in about ten minutes. How do you three feel?" I asked.

"A little sore, but otherwise, right as rain, sir," Kowalski answered twisting back and forth to crack his back.

"Awake and ready for duty, sir," Private responded with a salute.

"Fish!" Rico exclaimed. By educated guess, I'd say he was hungry.

I nodded. "Very well. And I'm sure Alice will be bringing us some breakfast soon," I said on behalf of Rico's empty stomach.

"Fish!" Rico replied happily to my assurance.

Sure enough, about six-point-four minutes after the discussion, Alice tossed some fish into our habitat. Alice, Central Park's head zookeeper. The dame is thorough for the most part, but doesn't care much about anything. If I had a nickel—no, a penny—for every time I've heard her say 'whatever' to a situation that obviously needed looking into, I'd probably be a millionaire. With a neck of a Roman wrestler and cankles to match, her only true known weaknesses are Private's hypercute and free vacations. The team and I have had some close calls with getting caught by Alice, but we've always pulled through and found ways to keep her completely oblivious to our covert operation.

The next thing we knew, it was opening time. We watched as visitors began flooding in and filled the empty spaces between the habitats. Kowalski and Rico were doing a swimming routine for them, Private did a little dance for them, and I simply smiled and waved—doing a few belly slides here and there.

I glanced through the crowd of humans into the habitat across from ours—the otter habitat. Marlene was doing her own swimming routine. Though she was quite a distance away, I could see the sun glinting off of her soft, chestnut-colored fur.

Marlene is a level-headed female Asian otter, and she can be extremely resourceful for my team and I. She's helped us on more missions than I can remember. As this unit's C.O., I have to constantly make split second decisions on who to trust, where to go, and what our next plan will be. And, since I've met and gotten to know Marlene, she's usually the one I decide to go to for help whenever it is needed. If there's anyone else that I'd entrust my life with besides my team, it's her.

"Skipper?"

My head jerked around at my name until my eyes found Private. I hadn't realized that I was staring.

"Sorry, young Private. Did you say something?" I asked, feeling a little awkward. I hope he didn't notice what—or rather, _who_—my attention had previously been focused on.

"No, I just noticed that you seemed to be deep in thought. Is everything alright, then?" he asked me. I could see the worry in his eyes.

"Negative, Private. I was just thinking is all," I assured him slapping on a smile.

"Are you sure? You looked a little dazed. You know if there's anything wrong, you can always tell me," Private told me. He's always had a good heart and never any bad intentions. Sometimes his tender heart makes me sick to my stomach, but he just wouldn't be Private without it.

I nodded. "I'm just fine, Private. No need to worry about me. Now, go entertain our guests before they get cute deprived," I joked. Private smiled and did as told.

To keep my head from returning to the clouds, I continued my antics on the side of our habitat opposite Marlene's position. Across the aisle now was the chimp habitat.

Phil and Mason. The second most resourceful mammals I know. They haven't helped on nearly as many missions as Marlene has, but they are always an option when it comes to needing help in areas that require reading—a skill my team and I lack—or for internet searches.

My attention shifted when I heard music thumping to my right. That royal pain just turned up the volume on his—as he calls it—_boom-y box_. That ringtailed lemur really gets on my nerves. Of course, the Central Park Zoo _had _to be designed so the so-called 'King' Julien and his 'royal' subjects would be _my_ neighbors. Not that it mattered, you could probably hear his music—no, _noise_—across the zoo and farther. I dove corkscrew-style into the water with hopes of muffling out the hullabaloo.

Luckily, it did help some. It's not that I hated the guy, but I _absolutely _cannot stand him. Sometimes I think that the late night parties and midnight refrigerator raids were only for the sole purpose of annoying me to my wits end. He's actually led me to literally _screaming _at the top of my lungs before I did something I'd regret. But though he gets on my nerves and seems to only care about himself, I still have to admit to myself that there is a small part of him that has concern for others—a _small _part.

I executed a few underwater techniques for the pleasure of the humans. They're so easily amused. So far, I haven't known a single human that you can _truly _trust. I still believe that the government is trying to control the weak-minded through pop music ringtones. I may be paranoid, but at least that's what keeps me sharp.

I resurfaced just as Kowalski, Rico, and Private were getting ready to do a four-penguin antic.

"Come on, Skipper! We're about to try that new technique we made up yesterday!" Private called. I smiled and swam in his direction.

As we practiced it, I positioned my foot in Kowalski's cupped flippers under the water as Rico did the same with Private across from us a few feet away.

"Ready, and…Execute!"

On my command, Kowalski and Private tossed us into the air and we somersaulted past each other and high-fived just before we dove into the water between Kowalski and Private. We then swam right under them and lifted them out of the water. The humans cheered with delight. Like I said: _Easily _amused.

In reverse, we repeated the action. Kowalski and Private then took to the sky, but instead of lifting us out of the water, we each followed a series of dives. Basically, each of us dove in and out of the water simultaneously and weaved between each other and high-fived each time we passed each other.

Next came the big finish. Each of us hopped onto our island one by one—first Kowalski, then Private, then me, and finally Rico—and we belly slid to the center and took a bow. Once again, the humans erupted in applause and cheered us on. As reward for being cute and cuddly, the humans tossed us fish after fish. Rico took the opportunity to catch some in his beak.

I've always found that kind of arbitrary—they only toss us fish if we put on a little act? What are we, dogs?

I never really understood the concept of "_zoos"_. I find it a little inhumane to cage up innocent animals for the sole purpose of human entertainment. I mean, the humans have heard of _Animal Planet_, right? Or even wildlife preserve tours for those who want to see animals in person?

On the bright side, the selfishness of the humans at least provided us with a HQ, close friends, and easy access to internet and other tools in storage whenever we needed them.

In the long run, I guess it's safe to say that not all humans are bad. But I still wouldn't trust them with my life, or the ones that I care about.

* * *

Closing time. The _bing…bong_'s of the clock tower echoed through Central Park and its zoo. The visitors began filing out of the zoo with the assistance of Alice showing them toward the exit—well, more like _rushing them to _the exit. The boys and I waved goodbye to our guests and soon after, the zoo was empty.

"Good work today, boys. That was good mackerel," I said.

"_Fish!"_ Rico exclaimed satisfactorily in his surprisingly concrete opera singing voice. Who knew that someone who can barely speak would have a singing voice like _that_?

Interrupting our after-closing discussion, Alice's assistant's voice came through her radio as she passed our habitat.

"_Hey, yo, Alice! That doctor says he needs to see the chimps for a checkup."_

Alice—stopping with a hand on her hip—answered him back. "Checkup? They're not due for a checkup for another two months, though. Is something wrong with them?"

"_Eh, he said he was gonna do a whole zoo checkup over the course of this week," _her assistant replied.

"Gah…As if I didn't have enough to do today," Alice muttered to herself. She pressed the button on her walkie-talkie to reply. "Alright, I'm on it."

I eyed Alice skeptically as she continued past our habitat headed toward the simians. "Kowalski, analysis."

"I don't know what to make of it, Skipper. Perhaps the doctor just wants to be thorough to make sure none of the zoo's inhabitants has contracted any contagions," my lieutenant suggested.

I pondered the idea. That could very well be what he was doing, but my gut was telling me otherwise. I watched as Mason and Phil were put into a cage and Alice carried them off. "I dunno, Kowalski. I just have this feeling…"

"Skipper, what reason could the veterinarian possibly have to bring any harm to any of us?" Private asked.

"That's the problem, Private. I don't know. I just have this sneaking suspicion that we should keep an eye on this," I answered.

"Would it make you feel better if we supervised the checkup?" Kowalski asked me.

"Actually, yes. It would. Commence Operation: Checkup Checkout!" I ordered. On command, my team and I leapt into action and made our way to the veterinarian's office.

I remember that deranged needle-sticking demon. I went through hell trying to avoid getting a shot in my tail end. Eventually, I had to give in to ensure that he wouldn't stick one of my team again thinking they were me, which would have put their life at risk. I've tried to get over this stupid needle fear…But I just can't seem to shake it for some reason. I just don't understand why I can run blindly into danger without a single fear, yet I break down at the sight of thin pointy objects. One day I will conquer this fear…One day!

We made it just as Alice and Dr. Deranged walked into the examination room and set the cage on the counter. My team and I hid behind a nearby trashcan as we eavesdropped.

"Thank you, Alice. I appreciate you helping me with this," the doctor told her.

"Whatever…But I still don't understand why you want to do a check up on all of the animals," Alice replied.

"I just want to be sure nothing needs any immediate attention. Also, a new vaccination needs to be distributed to each animal. New York's Health Department is requiring it," he explained. I couldn't help but feel that there was something…_Off_…About his tone. It seemed a lot calmer than I remembered it…Kind of…_Robotic_, even. Then again, I haven't seen the guy in months. It could just be me. But I just don't know…

Alice sighed. "Alright…Just let me know when you're done and when to bring the next one. But I'm getting off at four o'clock today, so you're gonna have to find someone else to help you after that."

"That is just fine, Alice. I'm getting off shortly after you. I wouldn't want to keep you, anyway," the doctor assured her.

Alice showed no interest or content. "Yeah, whatever." Another penny for yours truly. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's my lunch break. Don't bug me for half an hour." With that, she was gone.

Our attention focused on the doctor and the chimps, who acted completely normal. They didn't seem confused, or worried, or anything. I suppose they bought the doc's story. Well, I still thought something was going on here that we didn't know about…Yet.

"Don't worry, little fellas. This won't hurt at all," he told the chimps. Liar! That's exactly what he told me before he stuck my rear with a ten gauge hypodermic needle!

As if on cue, the doctor pulled a needle out of a case and sterilized it before he started opening the cage. I started to move forward to go knock his lights out, but my team held me back.

"Skipper, don't! He's gonna get a shot in them whether it's now or later!" Kowalski whispered in my ear-hole. Realizing he was right, I stood down.

I watched him clean the injection site of Mason, but had to look away as he brought the needle closer to his flesh. Gah! I'm such a nancycat! I couldn't even bring myself to _watch _someone being injected?! I wanted to slap myself so badly.

Unfortunately, I felt a bit of my dignity jump into the garbage can sitting next to me when Private tapped my shoulder and whispered, "He's done with both of them, now."

I looked to the sympathetic Private and shifted my weight to my other leg uncomfortably as I nodded awkwardly and averted my attention back to the doctor and the chimps.

"There you go, little fellas," the doctor said. "I'll be right back." The doctor then rounded the counter and left the room.

My team and I rushed to the counter and climbed atop it. "Kowalski, analysis!" I commanded pointing at the silver case laying on the counter.

My lieutenant did as authorized and approached the case. Upon opening it, the top and bottom sections had a row of 10 needles each, though the first and second slots were empty in the bottom section. A shiver went up my spine at the sight of so many needles; I hope nobody noticed.

I turned to the chimps. "Do you two feel okay?"

Phil nodded as Mason said, "I feel fine. The shot was a bit uncomfortable, but I'm otherwise unharmed. Why? How long have you four been here?"

"Classified," I replied turning back to Kowalski. "What do you make of it, Kowalski?"

Kowalski picked up a document that was sitting next to the case. "I think this might help with some explaining."

I once again turned to the chimps. "Can you read that for us?"

"Of course," Mason replied. Kowalski handed the note over and Mason translated what Phil signed:

"_To Whom It May Concern:_

"_The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) would like to inform the Central Park Zoo that it is time for animal checkup and vaccinations. The provided vaccination wards off the following diseases: smallpox, rabies, and polio. It is required for all of your inhabitants to receive this vaccination. Failure to do so may endanger and expose your inhabitants and will result in loss of occupation for failure to comply with these instructions._ Signed, Larry S. Urms."

I turned to Kowalski as Mason handed back the letter. "Is it legit, Kowalski?"

Kowalski looked over the letter, examined the signature, then turned his attention to me. "Seems so. I really don't think there's anything you have to worry about, here."

I thought it over for a moment. There was an epidemic a few years ago while my team and I were stranded in Madagascar. Luckily, it didn't make it to any of the zoo's inhabitants, but a vaccination was given to ensure the good health of the animals. I sighed. "Alright. I guess I'm wrong on this one. Let's get back to HQ before someone misses us," I said finally.

And so, we left the Zoo Hospital and returned to HQ. Maybe it was my bad case of paranoia getting to me again, or maybe it was something more. Either way, I still knew that something was about to happen. One could only imagine what it might have been.


	2. I Knew When We Met

To help ease my nerves some, I made myself another cup of fish coffee. I'd drank about half of it before I realized that it wasn't working. I still felt that lump in the pit of my stomach growing with each passing second. It was really bothering me. My gut had never been wrong before, even when Ringtail was actually innocent even when all of the evidence pointed toward his guilt. I took another long sip, but my stomach argued with a dissatisfied growl and I had to set my mug aside.

"You alright, Skipper?" Private asked while the Lunacorns were on a commercial break.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," I answered.

"You're still thinking about what happened earlier, aren't you?" Kowalski asked pulling a card from the deck in the center of the table in the midst of his game with Rico.

I hesitated with my answer, but luckily Marlene saved me by entering our HQ.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" she asked in her usual bright and cheery voice. It was obvious that she'd just finished a swim—her fur was still slightly damp, making it look slick to the touch.

"Hi, Marlene!" Private called. Kowalski and Rico just nodded to her, too concentrated on their card game to give a proper welcome. I kind of wanted to slap them, but I held my ground.

"Oh, the usual, Marlene," I told her as I closed the distance between us to a mere foot.

"Oh, so, you mean I just interrupted a top-secret meeting?" Marlene said with a playful sideways smile that I couldn't help but return.

"Okay, you got me there," I said chuckling, "we're just taking advantage of the problem-free morning." The words escaping my beak caused my stomach to lurch, as if it was scolding me for saying them.

Marlene smiled radiantly. "I wonder _why_ it's so problem-free," she said winking at me. I felt the heat rush into my cheeks and I found myself grateful for the feathers hiding my skin.

"Just doing our job, Marlene," I said smugly.

Marlene laughed slightly. I wished it'd lasted longer. "Hey," Marlene piped up, "did that doctor give you guys any shots? I got one today, and I wasn't due for another check up for seven months."

The image of the doctor sticking a needle in Marlene caused a burning anger to begin bubbling up inside me and I had to force myself to choke it down. "We've already investigated the situation, Marlene. They're distributing a vaccination to each animal in the zoo. Haven't gotten to us yet, though. Did he hurt you? Because you know I'd be more than happy to go knock his lights out," I told her clenching my fist in the palm of the opposite flipper.

Marlene laughed again and I relaxed my muscles. It took my mind a moment to process the fact that she'd thought I was kidding about knocking the doctor's lights out. Marlene's face fell slightly when she realized I wasn't laughing. "You were joking, right?"

I piped up with a smile. "Gotcha!" I said with laugh, feeling a little embarrassed. I hope it didn't show that I was faking it; I normally wasn't good at hiding the fact that I was ready for action.

"You sounded so serious!" Marlene said through a laugh. "I mean, I appreciate the thought, but it was just a shot."

"Right, right, I was only joking," I lied. "Care to join me in a game of chess?"

"I'd love to, but I really need to get back to my habitat. I didn't get too much sleep last night and I'm beat. Sorry," Marlene explained.

I shook my head. "It's alright. I'll see you later," I told her with a smile. She returned the smile and started to pass me, but tripped through her first step and stumbled into me. Luckily I was able to obtain a grip on her shoulders, and she obtained one on my chest feathers. It kind of hurt, but I still wished the moment would have lasted. I helped her regain her balance and retained my hold on her shoulders. Her face was barely an inch from mine and I couldn't help but notice the way her eyes sparkled in the fluorescent light of the HQ. "Are you okay?" I asked finally, coming back to reality.

"Yeah, sorry, I just tripped on something," Marlene answered. We both looked down and one of Private's Lunacorn dolls caught our attention.

"Private, what did I tell you about putting away your moon-horses after you're done with them?" I asked sternly over my shoulder.

"Sorry, Skipper! I thought I'd gotten them all," came Private's reply. A second later he was at my side removing the toy from the floor and leaving to put it up.

I turned back to Marlene and realized that I still had a firm grip on her shoulders and let go. "Oh, sorry," I said trying to sound casual. But the more I tried to sound casual, the more like an idiot I seemed to be.

"It's alright. I didn't hurt you, did I? When I grabbed your feathers?" Marlene asked placing the palm of her paw on my chest and smoothing out the feathers she'd ruffled.

"No, Marlene, I'm fine. It was only your natural instinct to try to stop yourself from falling by grabbing whatever was closest by. No harm done," I said calmly. Marlene removed her paw and shrugged one shoulder.

"Well, I guess I'll be going, then," she said.

"G'bye, Marlene," I replied. She flashed me one more smile and left, shutting the door behind her. I stared at the door for a moment longer, as if I could spontaneously develop X-ray vision and watch Marlene return to her habitat.

I took a deep breath to bring myself back together and turned on my heel, stopping abruptly when I noticed Kowalski and Rico staring at me strangely. Private had returned to watching the Lunacorns and wasn't paying attention.

"What?" I asked with my eyes flitting back and forth between Kowalski and Rico.

Kowalski turned back to his hand and placed a pair of Ace of Spades on the table. "Oh, nothing. I've just never seen you look at Marlene like that before," he said casually, causing Rico to smirk.

"Mm-hm…" Rico cooed.

"Care to tell me what you're talking about, Kowalski?" I asked with my heart pounding so hard I was afraid the whole zoo would think we were having an earthquake.

"Do you have any fours?" Kowalski asked Rico as if I'd said nothing.

"Fish!" Rico replied. Kowalski grabbed a card from the deck.

"Hello? Kowalski? I asked you a question!" I persisted.

Kowalski smiled. "I'm just saying, you just reminded me of myself for a minute there."

"_You_? I don't recall any of my inventions exploding in my face. Mainly because I don't _have _any inventions," I replied.

Kowalski rolled his eyes. "I wasn't talking about _that_. I was talking about you reminded me of when I first laid eyes on Doris."

My heart leaped a little and I tried to act natural. "Kowalski, I don't recall tripping over my feet and executing lame pick-up lines when Marlene walked in the HQ."

"No, but you have that same look in your eye," Kowalski said through a sing-song voice. "By the way, they weren't lame…" he finished under his breath.

I tried to avoid the topic about the 'look in my eye' by focusing on the aforementioned lame pick-up lines Kowalski had used on Doris when he'd first met her. "Really? '_Hey baby, can you feel the boisterous electromagnetism between us?'_" I shot back.

Kowalski sighed. "Okay, that's not the point here—"

"'_Baby, every time I see you, my cardiovascular system gets all worked up?'_" I added, hoping to annoy him into ending the conversation. Rico cracked up at that one.

"Alright! I get it! Okay?!" Kowalski exclaimed. "You don't have to pick on me to hide the fact that you're in love with Marlene," he muttered setting down another pair of cards on the table.

"Excuse me? I'm _not _in _love _with Marlene. She's a wonderful friend and I enjoy her company. Nothing more," I insisted, feeling more nervous the longer this discussion carried out.

"Whatever you say," he muttered under his breath. "Any threes?" he asked Rico.

"Fish!" Rico responded.

I rolled my eyes and decided to drop the argument there. The more I denied it, the more they would know that I was lying. "Yeah, whatever. By the way, Rico _does _have a three," I told him. Rico laughed nervously as Kowalski crossed his flippers and gave him "The Look." I took my opportunity during their distraction to migrate to the other side of the room.

I remember when I first met Marlene. After spending a couple of years with a circus—long story, don't ask—my team and I decided that we missed the zoo life. After saying our goodbyes to the hippies, we headed back to the zoo and reclaimed our habitat.

The next morning she came in and welcomed us to the zoo.

I remember first laying eyes on her; I was in mixed emotions. I'd just met her, so I wasn't sure if she could be trusted. But there was something about the way she looked at me through those kind eyes and smiled that smile. It didn't take me as long to learn to trust her as it did for most people.

She stopped by frequently. At first, I was uncomfortable with it. I wasn't sure if she was just being neighborly or if she was some sort of spy. But, unexpectedly, I gradually became comfortable being around her. I found myself anticipating her visit each day. I loved the way she loved life. I loved her smile, her laugh.

Now, don't you go on thinking that just because I'm saying all of this, it means I've gone soft. I'm still the same leader of a quadrant of penguin commandos that will slap you into shape if I see fit. Just because I have on a steel overcoat, doesn't mean I don't have a soft and warm inside. That's not really a side of me that I like to admit that I have, though.

The bottom line, there was something about Marlene that I couldn't quite describe. She'd changed a small part of me that could never be unchanged. She helped me see a part of life that I could really enjoy, despite how crazy and twisted the world really is. It wasn't until much later when I discovered exactly what was going on inside me. And that feeling exists to this day, and is stronger than it was in the beginning.

I'm in love with Marlene.


	3. Dial Tone

I know what you're probably thinking. Why haven't I told her yet? Why haven't I said anything to anybody about it? Well, that comes later. Anyway, most of the afternoon isn't that important. It was what happened later on that night that really worried me.

My team and I were away in our bunks, sleeping soundly. Well, at least my team was. Every time I came close to finally drifting into a slumber, I could see Dr. Deranged coming at me with one of those needles and injecting me with some kind of poison. Eventually, I ended up lying on my back staring at the bottom of the bunk above me. I know it was crazy—what reason would the doctor have to kill all the animals? What would be the point or his motive?—but I just couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. Like I said, my gut has never been wrong before.

That's when I decided to do some unscheduled late-night recon. I mean, what was the point if sleeping if I couldn't get in a single wink, anyway? So, I carefully hopped out of bed and crept up to the hatch, pushed it open, and climbed out. After securing the hatch back in its place, I set off.

It was a simple procedure. I navigated through and around habitats, my webbed feet not making the lightest of a flutter as they moved one in front of the other.

It happened as I passed by the zoo's vet.

I was hiding in a bush, scanning the area when a sound from inside the vet startled me. It was a telephone ringing. There was something about that ring that turned my stomach inside out. For a moment, I was frozen in my spot, unable to think, or move, or breathe. It was as if someone had pressed my pause button and couldn't figure out which button was play. Before my mind processed what it was making me do, I was hopping onto the nearest windowsill and sneaking inside.

The phone that was ringing was in the next room and I heard the veterinarian answer with a "_Hello?" _Again with that creepy tone in his voice. I couldn't even begin to think what was going on. I did the first thing I could think of doing. I slid across the counter to the phone on the far end and picked up the receiver, then carefully listened to the conversation, being sure not to make a single sound that would blow my cover.

"…_want me to do it?" _the doctor was saying.

"_Tomorrow. Start at noon," _said another voice. This one was muffled and deep. I knew that kind of tone from anywhere; whoever was on the other end of the line was using a voice enhancer of some sort to hide his true identity.

"_Understood. When should I send them to you?"_

"_Once all of animals I've specified to you are injected and under my command," _the other voice said. My eyes widened. Under his command? Who was this? Why was the veterinarian working for him? Who does he want to command?

That's when I remembered the needles and the word _injected _sunk in. There _was _something in those needles after all. This was all some sort of sick scam.

"_Yes, sir. It shall be done," _the doctor answered before he hung up the phone. But the other end didn't hang up just yet…Because it wasn't finished.

There was a pause before I heard his muffled voice again.

"_I'm coming for you, Skipper. And there's nothing you can do about it."_

The dial tone resounded as I stood speechless with wide eyes and my beak gaping open.

I must've stood there for about a century before I finally realized that I was still standing there with the receiver up to the side of my face with the dial tone still droning in my ear-hole. I slowly placed the receiver back down on the hook and took a few deep breaths. My head flooded with questions.

Who was on the other end of the line? How did he know me? Why—and more importantly, _how_—was the doctor working for him? Had whoever was on the other end known I was there listening, or was he just making a side comment before he ended the call?

Unfortunately, due to my curiosity, I failed to take into account that if Mr. Anonymous knew I was eavesdropping, Dr. Deranged might know, too. I realized too late, and just as I sensed someone behind me and turned to bring my fist into his jaw, a sharp piercing feeling erupted in my side. I hit the counter before I even realized I was falling.

I looked up at the doctor holding the emptied needle in his hand looking down at me. The muscles in his face were relaxed, as if he were calm. But his eyes were blank, as if…As if they weren't even his somehow…

I didn't get much time to think about it. In the following seconds after I fell over, my entire body felt completely numb, as if I were just a pocket of air resting on the countertop. My vision began to blacken around the edges and my breathing slowed. Just before I went under, I could hear the doctor's voice saying, "_Don't worry, little fella. This won't hurt at all."_

That was the last thing I heard before everything went black.

* * *

I remember sound. It was the first thing I experienced as I woke up. All I could hear was some sort of drone in the background…Like a mixture of voices folding over each other into an unknown language that my mind couldn't comprehend.

The next sense I regained was my sense of touch. I could feel stone beneath my body and soft cushion under my head. I could also feel someone shaking me. The only thought that ran through my mind was my urge to sleep.

That's all I wanted to do. The only thought that I could process was the fact that I felt exhausted. I just wanted to melt into the surface beneath me and sleep.

But gradually reality started to catch up with me. The voices that I heard finally separated and I could make out my name being called out over and over again.

Slits of light opened up in front of me as I began to open my eyes. I saw blurry figures standing in front of me. One voice said, "He's waking up," in a familiar British accent that I knew that I recognized in the back of my mind.

Suddenly, the rest of reality punched me in the face and my eyes snapped open as I sat up so fast my head hit something above me.

"Skipper! Are you alright? We've been trying to get you to wake up for the past two minutes!"

I turned my head to the voice that had just spoken and found myself looking at my second in command, Kowalski. Rico and Private were standing next to him.

I rubbed my head where a dull ache had started to form where I bumped my head in the bunk above me.

Bunk?

I looked down and, sure enough, I was in my own bunk back in HQ. Then, all at once, last nights' events suddenly rolled through my head like a wave trying to beat a high tide to shore.

"Skipper! Hello?" Kowalski clapped his flippers together in my face. I hadn't realize that he was talking.

"Huh?" I said snapping back into attention.

"Skipper, are you alright? You look like you just saw a ghost or something," Kowalski asked.

I opened my beak to respond but I just didn't know what to say. The next thing I knew, I was climbing topside for reasons that I really didn't know. It was like my mind was controlling me without knowing what the hell it was doing. My team was hot on my heels and created a small semi-circle around me on our island as I looked around, not looking for anything in particular.

"Skipper, what's wrong?" Private asked in a worried tone. Somehow, I found my voice again.

"I…I don't know, exactly. Look, I couldn't sleep last night…And I went out for some unscheduled recon. I heard this phone ringing in the vet, and…I eavesdropped. The doctor is doing something to the animals. He's working for some anonymous guy with a muffled voice. But…That's not what bothered me most. I was eavesdropping from the other line, and when the doctor hung up…The muffled voice said he was coming for me. He addressed me personally, as if he knew I was listening. I don't remember what happened after that," I explained.

Kowalski shook his head. "But sir, that doesn't make any sense! Why would the doctor work for someone who would want to come after you? Where's the connection? Besides, the doctor went home at seven last night," he told me.

"I realize that, Kowalski. I've asked the same questions and more. But I know what I heard last night," I insisted.

"Skipper, you were probably just dreaming. It's a scientific fact that the mind will play tricks on you if you're under a lot of stress," Kowalski shot back.

I rolled my eyes. "Kowalski, this wasn't some scientific hallucination. I was _there_. I _heard _that voice on the other end of the phone," I insisted once again. Why wouldn't they listen to me?

Kowalski sighed. "Fine. We'll settle this once and for all by heading over to the vet and confiscating one of the syringes and I'll test what's inside. Happy?"

"Yes, in fact, I am. Now you'll see that I'm telling the truth," I answered. My heart lifted some in hopes that I was right on this one.

I don't know why had doubts that I was right. I _knew _what had happened last night. It was like my gut was in a tug of war at the moment. It seemed to be telling me that I in fact was right…But there was also a part that told me that I was wrong. Or maybe that I was wrong about _something_. The only thing thinking about it did for me was give me a migraine.

So, we once again made our way to the vet. The zoo was closed today, so sneaking through the zoo was a piece of fish cake. We used the same windowsill that I used last night to break in and we made our way to the silver case that remained on the counter. Kowalski flipped the clips up and pushed the lid open. After grabbing a syringe, closing it, and locking it shut, we headed back to HQ.

We followed Kowalski into his lab as he began his research. It was relatively quick. He examined a sample under a microscope and ran a few tests in which he'd squirt a small amount into some sort of substance that would change color according to the chemical reactions—Kowalski's words, not mine. Finally, he came to me with the results.

"Skipper, I'm sorry to inform you that the substance in the syringe is indeed a vaccination. There's nothing else in it. Again, I'm sorry," Kowalski told me.

I shook my head. "No! That can't be right! I know what I heard last night! You had to miss something!"

Kowalski placed a flipper on my back. "Sir, there's no ignoring the evidence. Everything you experienced last night was just a dream. Nothing more."

I was about to protest, but what would I say? I had no real proof that I'd actually gone to the vet last night. "Fine," I said eventually, "I was wrong and I'm sorry. Come on, we have work to do after we get the syringe back where it belongs before someone misses it," I ordered. I glanced over at the syringe, which was laying on one of Kowalski's counters. The tip of the needle glinted into my eye.

That's when I remembered what had happened after I hung up that phone last night. I remembered seeing the doctor's face with those blank eyes and that syringe in his hand saying, "_Don't worry, little fella. This won't hurt at all." _Without warning, a tiny area on my side suddenly came alive with a burning and pinching sensation.

I'd been injected.


	4. A FriendIsAnEnemy ThatHasn't AttackedYet

**Author's Note: I apologize for the chapter title with the words running together. FanFiction only allowed me so many characters for it.  
**

* * *

The realization of reality was like a punch to the face…For the second time today.

Had I been injected with the same thing he'd injected into the other animals or was it strictly to knock me out? What _was_ being injecting into the other animals? What the hell was going on here?!

"Skipper?!"

I snapped back into attention and realized that I'd been staring at the needle with my beak hanging open.

"Skipper, you really need to stop doing tha—!"

"I was injected last night," I interrupted my lieutenant.

My team was silent for a moment, processing what I'd just told them.

"_That's_ your proof," I continued, "I was _in_ that office last night. That call really _did_ happen."

"And you're sure about this?" Kowalski asked.

"I'm as sure as I am a penguin," I assured him. "Look at my side, right here," I turned and pointed to the area on my side, "and tell me you don't see a puncture wound."

I was hoping Kowalski would just take my word for it, but of course he had to be sure I wasn't dreaming about this either. He grabbed a magnifying glass off of his desk and held it up to my side. After pushing a few feathers out of the way so he could see the skin, he pulled away with a puzzled expression.

"Skipper…You're right," he said slowly.

"I believe a big 'I told you so' is in order?" I said folding my flippers over my chest.

"I'm sorry we didn't believe you, Skipper," Private said guiltily. "But what do we do? We don't know what's running through your system right now!"

I looked down. He was right. We _didn't_ know what was running through my veins. It could have been _anything_.

"Kowalski, you can do a blood test to figure it out, right?" I asked with my eyes still fixed on the floor that lay before me.

"Well, sir, I can, but blood work takes a matter of days to complete. By then, it could be too late," Kowalski answered.

"Then what _can_ we do?" I asked finally able to meet his eye.

Kowalski thought for a moment.

"Um…Well, sir, to be honest, I really don't know. I'm sure we can come up with so—"

"Hey, guys! What's goin' on?" Marlene interrupted entering the lab.

That's when my heart sunk into my stomach. And _not_ for the reason you might be thinking of.

This otter may have Marlene's face, but she was certainly _not_ Marlene. The way her eyes had no emotion whatsoever and the way her voice seemed to be controlled by an outside force proved it.

"Hello, Marlene. I'm afraid what we're doing at the moment is classified," Kowalski answered when I said nothing.

"Oh, sorry. I was just wondering if you could come to my habitat for a moment. I really could use your help with something," the otter asked. My gut lurched and I could taste bile in the back of my throat. That was my sign, right there, that something was fishy here—no pun intended.

My team looked to me and it took me a moment to realize they were awaiting my orders.

"Oh, yeah, that's fine, Marlene. Roll out, team," I ordered, trying to force the lump in my throat to shrink.

Once we were topside and crossing over to Marlene's habitat, I noticed the way she was walking. She had outstanding posture and her arms didn't swing by her side with each stride, almost like a…_Soldier_…No, this was most certainly _not_ my Marlene.

I should've stopped us right there, but I didn't. Never have I felt like more of an idiot. When we arrived at Marlene's habitat, the otter lead us into Marlene's cave. It was dark when we entered, but when we walked in we heard a _tink_ and a _hiss_.

We didn't even have time to ask what it was when we started feeling dizzy.

Just as we breathed in the knock-out gas, the lights turned on and we saw the blurry figures of the chimps, the badgers, the lemurs, and Marlene surrounding us wearing gas masks to protect their own lungs. All of them watched us as we collapsed to the floor. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't fight the gas. My vision started to go black around the edges and I couldn't feel anything but the air moving through my trachea. I tried to make sense of what was happening before I blacked out, but I was already drifting in and out of consciousness. Finally, I was out.

But the true horror was that before I did, the last thing I saw was the blank stares of all of my friends.

* * *

Déjà vu. That's what it was like when I started to come to.

Just like before, the first thing that told me I was waking up was the sounds that I could hear. I heard voices that sounded familiar but at the same time unfamiliar. As if the voice that I had at one point known had been changed.

Next, I could feel. The atmosphere of wherever I was was cool against the skin beneath my feathers. A frigid surface pressed against my back and something restricted movement in my legs and flippers.

Finally, I could open my eyes. Though, it was difficult. I needed a minute to let my eyes adjust to the bright fluorescent light before my vision cleared and made sense of the blurred figures that stood before me.

Or the blurred _figure_, rather.

"Welcome back, _pen-gu-in_," said my arch nemesis, Dr. Blowhole.

I didn't need to ask what was going on here. I already knew for the most part. I took in my surroundings, which were completely empty besides Blowhole and I. It was a small, white room with a low ceiling and a small naked bulb hanging from that.

"Where are my men?" I asked sternly.

"Oh, don't worry about them. They're in separate rooms similar to this one. You'll see them soon enough. _On the other side…_" Blowhole said leaning in closer to my face with a sadistic smile. I didn't so much as flinch. I instead stared hard back into his gaze through narrowed eyes. I didn't know what he was planning on doing, but I wasn't going to let him win, no matter what it took. Well, that's what I thought before I figured out exactly what it _would_ take.

"Blowhole, I don't know what you're planning, but just let them go. Take me instead. This all started between you and me, let it end between us, too," I said, pushing away the plead in my tone.

Blowhole laughed.

"It's _so_ amusing that you think I'd actually _agree _to that. This whole antagonism may have started between you and me, but you're team decided to stick their beaks in the middle of it, so they'll be meeting the same end as you. Besides, I don't negotiate with my enemies," he explained, never wiping that sadistic grin off of his face for a single moment.

"I won't let you hurt them! I'll do whatever it takes to save them!" I screamed, straining forward against the manacles holding me back. If it hadn't been for those, I would've already used my flippers to make Blowhole a _killer _necklace, if you catch my drift.

"I'm glad you feel that way. That will make what happens next _so_ much more fun," Blowhole said turning around and riding toward the door on his Segway.

"Where are you going? Get back here, you coward!" I screamed.

With a laugh, Blowhole turned at the door to face me.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't be far off. I'm just going to get ready to watch the show," he told me. After examining my confused expression, he disappeared through the doorway and I was locked in the small room on my own.

I looked at my shackles and pulled at them with all of my might, my muscles screaming in defiance. I heard the metal creak slightly, but it fought against my straining muscles and my efforts failed. I remained dangling there on the wall a few feet off the ground. When I turned to examine the way the chain was fixed to the wall, I realized that it wasn't a wall at all, not exactly. It was a mirror. More confusion washed over me.

What was going to happen here?

Without warning, I hit the floor with a _thud_. I laid there for a moment, still processing what had just happened. When I got my bearings, I found my feet and looked up at the cuffs hanging off of the mirrored wall. They must've been unlocked by some kind of remote control or something. But why would Blowhole free me? As if reading my mind, Blowhole's voice resounded through the room from a source that I was unable to identify.

"_Well, Skipper, allow me to answer some of the questions that I know are running through your mind right now._

"_I'm sure you remember when you were in the veterinarian's office? You know, Skipper, it's not polite to eavesdrop on one's conversations."_

I knew exactly what he was talking about. It was _his_ voice that I'd heard on the other end of that phone call. He must've been watching me and saw the realization in my expression, because his voice came back through a chuckle.

"_I'm sure you understand what I'm getting at. Anyway, I am the one who sent that phony letter to the zoo with the so-called 'vaccinations.' Of course, I knew your paranoid nature would want to ensure that this was bona fide, so I sent the vaccinations, yes, but only to trick you into thinking that everything was okay. Even though, the truth was that I also sent another case filled with my own _personal _solution._

"_So, after getting this solution into the veterinarian—I call it Serum, by the way—he was under my complete and total control. I'll spare you the boring details on what's inside the Serum. And I think you understand what I did with the rest of it,"_ he said leaving a moment of silence to see my reaction.

I did know what he did with the rest of the Serum. He'd injected it into my friends that he had to ambush us.

"That still doesn't explain what you're doing now," I replied, my heart racing.

Blowhole allowed his evil cackle to fill the emptiness around me, sending a chill up my spine.

"_That brings me to the best part of my plan. I know you don't at all mind pounding my lobster minions into paste, but I wonder how you would handle a situation in which you had to pound one of your _friends _into paste…"_ he answered.

_Now_ it made sense. Why didn't I figure that out already? I heard a sound behind me and I turned to see a panel in one of the unmirrored walls open. A figure stepped into the room, causing my heart to skip a beat. Probably a _few_ beats.

My opponent was Marlene.


	5. Found and Lost

I scanned Marlene from head to toe. Her once beautiful eyes were still blank, yet her expression was warped with anger. Her paws were in fists, balled to her sides and she was poised for combat. I'll admit, Marlene's extremely attractive when she's angry—hey, don't judge me, I'm entitled to an opinion!—but the way she was looking at me at that moment, like she wanted to decorate the room with my insides, never have I longed to see her smile more in my life.

Blowhole must've sensed my shock, because his laughter once again pulled at the space around me and seemed to strip the oxygen from my lungs.

"_Now, Skipper, it is time for you to make an important decision. Your otter friend is under my complete control. She will do whatever I say. You decision is this: your life or hers. And don't think you can worm your way out of this, because you _can't_. That being said…Kill him."_

On command, Marlene lunged toward me with her claws aiming for my throat, but I dove to the side just before she could get a hold of me. I stumbled backward, but caught myself before I fell just as Marlene turned back toward me on all fours. She clenched her teeth and a low growl crawled out from under her breath as she started for me in a way that a lion might stalk his prey.

"Now, Marlene, I know you're in there somewhere…Think about what you're—"

Before I could continue, she was on top of me, pinning me to the floor. Her claws dug into my shoulders and I cried out. My instincts were screaming at me to fight back, but my heart's command was much more powerful. How could I fight back? The only thought on Marlene's mind right now was my murder, and unless I killed her first, that wasn't going to change.

But the problem was, I _couldn't_ kill Marlene. Honestly, it wasn't so much because I'd been in love with her for years, but she was also one of my closest friends. I couldn't kill her even though my life depended on it.

I pushed her to the side and cringed upon her claws leaving my flesh. Blood oozed from the puncture wounds in my shoulders. I rolled on top of her and she thrashed against my grip.

"Marlene!" I was screaming now, desperate to snap her out of it. "I know some part of you can hear me! Wake up! It's me, Skipper!"

She reacted with a growl that sent me stumbling back in shock. I tripped over my own feet and landed on my back, stars exploding in my vision. Marlene's blurry figure appeared above me and raised her paw. I couldn't quite make out what she was doing, but I still had the common sense to know what she was implementing. Just as she brought her paw down, I moved my head just in time for her to miss my eye and scratch my cheek instead.

I rolled to the side and felt the two claw marks on my face, finding that it was slick with blood. Blowhole was sure playing his cards right this time. There was no way I could take Marlene's life.

"Marlene, please, I know there's some part of you in there that can hear me," I said as she moved toward me like a cat preparing to pounce on a mouse. "Don't forget about the time we had to investigate the sewer because we thought your habitat was haunted. Remember when we overcame Officer X when we were trapped inside the Snackatarium? And you can't forget when I thought I was a female and sought your advice." I couldn't help but crack a smile at that last one, despite the situation I currently found myself in.

I was surprised to see Marlene studying me as if I was some sort of alien figure. But the Serum inside her stole that bit of curiosity as quickly as it appeared and she pounced in my direction, only to find floor once again when I moved to the side.

Something sparked inside me then. _Hope_. I wasn't sure where it came from until I thought about that flicker of curiosity in Marlene's expression. There really was some part of her that could hear me, and as long as I knew that, I had hope that we could leave this room together with our lives.

I didn't know what else to do. I tried talking to her, feeding memories into her mind, but whenever I thought I was getting close, she'd just lunge for me again in hopes of finally finishing me off. I almost started crying. Never have I longed to see Marlene—the _real_ Marlene—more in my entire life knowing her. Whenever she attacked, all I could do was block her. And when I couldn't do that, I could only try to push her away…_After_ she'd already made another opening in my skin.

It was becoming difficult with each second that passed by. My head started spinning and I had to lean against a wall to steady myself. The floor was gradually turning red with my blood. For what seemed like the millionth time in the who-knows-how-long I'd been in there, I had Marlene pinned to the floor again.

"Marlene! Please come back to me! I know you're in there! _Please!_"

I was pleading now. Tears streamed down my cheeks and I had to fight to draw oxygen into my lungs. I waited for her response, but this time she stared back into my hurt-filled eyes for a moment.

"Marlene?" I croaked with that same flicker of hope coming back to me. It died once again when Marlene snapped out of her trance and with a cry of defiance, pushed me off of her and lashed out, making another set of claw marks across my abdomen.

Each time she made a move to kill me, a small part of me really _did_ die. I felt as if there was nothing I could do. No matter what I'd tried, the Serum always took over her mind.

When the thought crossed my mind, it seemed to echo. _The Serum always took over her mind._ That's when I saw my only hope. Blowhole was controlling her thoughts, but not her _heart._

As she poised herself for another attack, I caught her off guard, moving forward and grabbing her around the waist. At first, she stared at me in shock, then tried to push away. I was hesitant—not quite sure what I was doing—but something told me that if this didn't work, then nothing would. She placed a paw on my chest and pushed with all of her strength, but I was stronger. I pushed her paw away and took her gently by the shoulder, pulling her closer to me. Her face was an inch from mine and I could feel her breath on my face.

"I love you, Marlene…" I whispered softly, hoping that it wouldn't be the last time I'd have the chance to say it. It was now or never. Finally, I worked up the courage to do the only thing that could bring back my Marlene, if anything.

I kissed her.

At first she struggled—probably wondering what the hell I was doing—but after a moment, she stopped. In fact, she did more than stop.

_She kissed back._

It was the most wonderful experience I'd ever had in my life. And coming from a guy who once jumped from a plane. Boy, that was a real ride! Anyway, back on topic. I could feel her muscles relaxing and her arms moved up my flippers and rested on my shoulders, wrapping around my neck. In that moment, I forgot about everything. I forgot about Blowhole, the Serum, the pain, the room, the mirrored wall, everything. Even as Blowhole's annoyed tone reverberated through the tiny room, we were in our own world. Nothing but me, Marlene, and the first kiss we'd ever shared.

"_No! What the hell is going on?! I said _kill _him! Not _kiss _him! Oh…I'm gonna be sick…"_

I found myself sighing in the bliss of Marlene's lips against my beak. I held her tighter as we melted into each other. It was nothing like I'd ever imagined it would be. It was _better_. Oh, so much better. I loved her taste. I loved the way she held me around my neck. I loved the way my flippers fit into the curves of her waist. I never wanted it to end. I wanted to hold her forever. If I could pick only one moment in my life that I would remember for the rest of my life, it was that one. But, unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

Finally, we slowly parted—leaving me feeling pretty intoxicated, quite frankly—and she opened her eyes and found mine. We stared at each other in silence for a moment before she finally spoke.

"Skipper?" she asked as if she hadn't seen me in years.

My heart lifted and a feeling grew inside of me like a room that had been dark for centuries finally being lit. A smile stretched across my face big enough to cause the lacerations in my cheeks to sting like hell and I laughed. It felt as if I had never laughed in my life. I picked her up by the waist and spun her around a few times in my happiness.

"Skipper! What's going on?!" she cried as I set her down and clung to her as if my life depended on it. In a way, it did.

I didn't answer. The only thing I could bring myself to do was cry tears of joy over her shoulder. I'd thought I'd lost her forever, yet here she was…The Marlene I'd come to know and love with all my heart. I hadn't even realized how much until now. Finally—though with _much_ difficulty—Marlene managed to push me away.

"Skipper, what's going—"

She stopped when she saw the claw marks covering my body, still oozing blood. Her expression was a mixture of confusion, anger, and shock.

"Skipper, what happened to you?" she asked, but from the reminiscence that gleamed in her eye, I knew she already knew the answer. "Did…_I_ do that to you?" she asked instead, resting a paw on the wound on my cheek.

Before I got the chance to answer, the door flew open and I pushed Marlene behind me, getting ready for whatever was coming into the room.

"Well, Skipper, this was most _certainly_ unexpected," Blowhole sneered. A couple of lobster minions trailed in behind him. "It's hard to believe that anyone would want to waste a kiss on you," he said with his face twisted in disgust.

I couldn't see her face, but I could sense the recollection Marlene was experiencing upon Blowhole's mention of our kiss.

"You can control one's mind, but not their heart," I replied, ignoring his remark.

Blowhole scoffed.

"Maybe so. But this doesn't mean you're going to win. Lobsters!"

On command, the lobsters advanced. I was weak from fighting with Marlene, but the knowledge that I had brought her back gave me new strength. A reason to fight.

"Get back, Marlene!" I commanded over my shoulder.

Without turning to see if she acknowledged me, I roundhouse-kicked the first lobster that tried to overpower me in the face, sending him sprawling on his backside. Another moved toward me and I sent him to join his friend with a single blow. I turned to pounce on that egomaniac, Blowhole, but he was no longer standing in the doorway. I flinched upon someone grabbing my shoulder, but was relieved to see that it was Marlene.

"Skipper…What happened? Everything is such a blur…All I remember is…When you kissed me…" she said bashfully. She actually looked kind of cute when she was embarrassed. I felt a smile twitching at the corners of my beak but I held it back. There were more important things I had to deal with.

"We need to talk about it later," I said finally, "right now, priority one is finding the others and hightailing it out of here."

Marlene nodded in understanding and I moved in front of her, peering out of the doorway into a large clearing, which was empty. I found its lack of minions suspicious, but I ignored it. I took Marlene's paw and led her behind me. In a few steps, we were next to another door identical to the one that was on my room. I assumed that this was where they were keeping another one of my men. I looked at the lock. Passcode.

I thought back to who all was injected with the Serum. I recalled the lemurs, the badgers, and the chimps. My heart sunk.

_Badgers._

I knew exactly who Blowhole would sick those two on. Rico would be able to handle either of the others, knocking them out would be simple. Kowalski might be able to handle the lemurs, but I wasn't too sure how he'd handle the chimps. But Private, he'd be scared out of his mind if he was forced to fight Becky and Stacy. I only had a matter of time to figure out how to get these doors open. I turned and pulled Marlene along to a control panel that I spotted off in the corner.

"Stay close, Marlene," I whispered over my shoulder. She gripped my flipper in fear and my determination to get her safe lifted beyond the limit that it didn't have. "I won't let anyone hurt you," I added. Though, I was unsure if she heard me. I think I was pledging it more to myself than I was to her.

When we reached the control panel, I hoisted myself up on top and pulled Marlene up behind me. I surveyed the arrangement of colored and flashing buttons and switches and felt panic rising into my throat. I forced myself to choke it back down—partly because I needed to focus, and partly because I didn't want Marlene to see the anguish in my expression and become even more afraid.

"Do you know what you're doing, Skipper?" Marlene asked. She was standing so close to my side that I could feel her breath on my neck. As weird as it sounds, it was actually kind of…Soothing.

"Not exactly," I admitted, "but I have to figure something out. My team is—"

"Skipper, look out!"

I was about to turn when I was pushed to the side. When I tried to turn to Marlene, she wasn't there. I heard a _thump_ to my right, and my eyes followed the sound to a railing that blocked a bluff about three and a half feet away. I threw myself off of the control panel and slid to the edge to see past the railing. There was about an eight foot drop before another landing of floor.

And on it was Marlene, who was laying still on the cold, hard floor below.


	6. Frenemy Territory

I tried to scream her name, but all that escaped my throat was a croaking sound due to my heart clogging my airways. It was as if I'd found Marlene and then lost her all over again. When I turned to go to her, I found a group of lobsters blocking my path.

"Oops," one of the five said to me, though he obviously couldn't care less. Rage churned in my stomach and simmered into my cheeks and I started forward.

"You son of a—!"

Let's just say that the last part of that sentence was censored when all he was able to hear was the sound of my fist making friends with his jaw. I don't think I need to explain that it wasn't difficult to take out the other four lobsters. When you have the determination that I had at that moment, the Devil himself wouldn't stand in your way.

After fighting the lobsters out of my way, I sprinted to the staircase that lead to the floor below and slid to her so fast that I honestly hardly remember doing it.

When I reached her, I dropped to my knees at her side. Yeah, I know, cliché much? But who said I cared? Marlene was unconscious and lying motionless on her side, but she was still alive. Seeing the rise and fall of her chest indicating that she was still breathing was a relief, but it still didn't tell me if she was okay or if she was going to be. I gently shook her shoulder in hopes of receiving a response, but Marlene was out cold.

"You're pathetic, Skipper."

I turned around at the sound of Blowhole's voice and found him standing behind me on his Segway.

"Blowhole, I swear, you do _not_ want to be in my peripheral vision right now," I warned with the muscles in my body tensing with agitation as I got to my feet.

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Blowhole sneered. "I'm actually very surprised at you, Skipper. I can't believe you're actually in _love_," he said teasingly.

"And you know the meaning of the word?" I shot back.

"We villains only know of a different kind of love. It's called _power_," Blowhole answered. His smile widened so much that all I wanted to do was rip it off his face and cram it down his throat. Trust me, if you were in my situation and seeing the sadistic glee on his face, you would've felt the same way. Before I could say anything, he hit a button on his Segway and a moment later, I was surrounded.

There was Mason, Phil, Ringtail, Maurice, Sad Eyes, Becky, and Stacy all standing around me, awaiting the order to rip my guts out. But just when I thought that was it…My team trailed in behind them.

They were wearing the same expression that the others were.

I don't know how he managed to inject my men with that Serum, but I didn't really care. All that mattered was that he did it in the first place.

"I'd like to see you love your way out of this one, Skipper. Oh, how marvelous it will be to see you finally meet your doom. And by your own friends, of all things," Blowhole taunted.

"You're a coward! Why don't you fight me _yourself_ instead of sending someone to do it for you?!" I retorted.

"As much as I would absolutely _adore _pummeling you into the ground, Skipper, I'm afraid I have a _show_ to watch. But don't worry, I will be the one with the pleasure of finishing you off once and for all. Look on the bright side, you'll get to say goodbye to your friends before you die. More or less, that is," Blowhole said moving to the other side of the lair.

I desperately clawed at different solutions in my mind, but my adrenaline was so high that I could barely make sense of what I was trying to find a solution to. Each second that ticked by was another second wasted. Was this really how it was going to end for me? Being pounded into dust by my own friends? The thought made me sick to my stomach. I heard Blowhole laugh from across the room.

"It's so amusing to see you indefinitely helpless, Skipper. But, I'm afraid I've grown quite bored of just watching you fidget. Minions, bring Skipper to me on his knees," he ordered them.

Becky and Stacy both lunged at me simultaneously and I dove to the side, sliding away from Marlene. I didn't want her to accidentally get hurt in the middle of my fight. Or one-sided fight, rather.

I didn't get far before someone else was on top of me. I drove my elbow into a ribcage and was able to grab a precious second to get to my feet just as Mason's fist crashed down where my head had been just a second ago. Had he always been that strong?

I've battled the strongest of foes before, been surrounded by far worse, and never have I been so frightened. Yes, you heard me. I was frightened. Not of losing, not of my friends, but the fact that if I _did_ lose, who knows what Blowhole would do to them? That, and the fact that I didn't know how to win this without harming any of them. Blowhole was right, I couldn't love my way out of this one.

When I turned back around I barely had time to react before Kowalski made a jab for my jaw, but I did manage to block the attack and push him back a few feet. In the next second, I was somersaulting between Phil and Mason's grasp and back-flipping over Sad Eyes. Unfortunately, the attacks were just coming too fast and I couldn't dodge the fierce blow that Rico delivered to my temple and I was thrown on my backside with stars exploding in my vision.

Before I could regain my footing, Kowalski had me pinned to the ground by my shoulders. I struggled against his grip, but I underestimated Kowalski's strength and he reared his fist back and brought it down into my jaw, causing me to black out for a second. As I tried to regain my sight, I heard something, along with the tickle of air brushing past my ear-hole.

"Sorry, Skipper, but I had to do that."

It took me a moment to realize that it was Kowalski. I turned my numb head around to see him and through my groggy vision, I could see him shaking his head at me before he lurched back when a pair of hands pulled him off of me.

Finally, my vision cleared enough to see what was going on and I rolled out of the way before Rico caught my gut with a lead hammer. When I pushed myself to my feet, my eyes found Kowalski, who was poising himself for another attack.

Of course what I'd heard was just the fuzziness of my mind getting to me. How convenient would it be for Kowalski to not be affected by the Serum? It was too good to be true. Then again, there was something about his expression that separated himself from the others…

It wasn't blank.

In fact, it looked concentrated. His eyes flitted back and forth between my opponents and I. I had to avert my curiosity when Mort pounced on my back and pulled at the feathers on my head. And I think he was biting me…

I cried out in frustration and thrashed back and forth, trying to shake him off, but the little guy had a death grip onto me. I felt a few of my feathers pluck free and an extremely annoying itchy sensation replaced them. I was so frustrated that I wasn't watching where I was going and stumbled right into Ringtail's fist.

And I thought Mort was bothering me. Now I was being beaten up by _Ringtail_? That was _not_ going to fly. Finally, I managed to wrench Sad Eyes off of me and before I could react, Becky and Stacy got their chance to take me to the ground.

I was too outnumbered. One against ten. And I was the one covered in lacerations and running out of breath. Me thinking that I had a chance at winning without hurting them was like thinking that Alice would be elected President of the United States: unlikely.

After a couple more minutes, I realized that they were just toying with me because the chimps grabbed my flippers and restrained me. They could've done that before now, but I suppose they were getting bored. As I pulled and thrashed to free myself, Kowalski strode up to me and drove his fist into my gut, knocking the wind out of me. With his fist still digging into my abdomen, he leaned into the side of my face.

"Hang in there, Skipper," he whispered, "once we get close enough to Blowhole, this will all be over." He pulled back and turned to follow the others, who were making their way to Blowhole's position. Phil and Mason yanked at my flippers and dragged me along. I was too weak to object.

When we reached Blowhole, the simians threw me forward, causing me to land on my knees in front of him. Just like he wanted. I kept myself propped up by my flippers and took deep breaths. Blowhole's satisfaction was so great that I could feel it by just being near him, as if he was crawling inside my head.

"This was much simpler that I thought it'd be," I heard Blowhole say. I lifted my head slowly, first seeing the wheel of his Segway, then his body, then his face. I didn't know it was possible to smile that wide…Or that demonically. My anger was so vehement that I swear I could feel heat radiating off of my body like a demon with a fever. I jerked forward slightly with intention of barreling into him, but stopped abruptly when Blowhole waved his flipper side to side and said, "Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you."

At first I was confused, but a sound caught my attention from my left. A couple of lobsters were holding Marlene—still unconscious—and had a blade to her jugular. My breath caught in my throat and I glanced at Kowalski, who was doing his best to keep his eyes blank and emotionless. When I turned back to Blowhole, his expression was unchanged. I felt like a small child being bullied by a kid four times his own size—_powerless_. I could only think to do one thing, something that I'd never imagined that I'd be forced to do for any enemy of mine. I pleaded.

"Blowhole, leave her out of this. Leave them all out of this! Just take me instead!"

Blowhole's eyes twinkled with cruel glee and he threw his head back laughing. When he regained his composure, he looked back to me with a sigh.

"First, I get to watch you get beaten into a pulp and now you're _begging_? Oh, this is certainly one of the greatest day of my life by far."

I shook my head. "Nobody deserves to die because of me. Blowhole, please let them go."

I fought back the tears that were pooling in my eyes and swallowed the lump in my throat. The next words that I allowed to leave my beak felt like I was barfing up hot coals and I couldn't bring myself to say it to his face. So, I looked down and said to the floor instead.

"I'll do _anything_."

And I meant it. I know it was taking a risk, considering Blowhole was never one to keep his word, but I didn't have many options. I would do anything to keep my friends safe. I would sell my soul to Satan himself if it were the only way to keep them from harm.

"Anything, you say?" Blowhole purred. "How noble of you. But I already told you that I don't negotiate with my enemies."

"Then do it! Kill me! What are you waiting for?!" I screamed. I really don't know why I was rushing it. I think I was just so exhausted—and possibly suffering from a concussion—to realize what I was saying.

"And make it so quick? Where's the fun in that? The longer I make you suffer, the more satisfying my revenge will be," Blowhole cooed.

I looked back to Marlene, who was still resting in a lobster's claws and a blade poised to lacerate her throat. My eyes found the lemurs, who were standing a few feet away. Then I turned to my right, where the badgers and chimps were. Finally, I let my eyes find Rico and Private, who were awaiting their orders from behind me. When I looked back to Blowhole, I got to my feet.

"Let me tell you something, Blowhole. There's something you'll never understand. It's called sacrifice. It's new, you should look it up sometime. And when you truly care about someone, you'll do anything to protect them. No matter what it takes," I said.

"Is there supposed to be some kind of point in telling me this? Because I'm starting to get a little bored," Blowhole said with a fake yawn.

"No real point. I just wanted you to make a little more sense on what's gonna happen next," I answered, unable to hold back the grin forming on my face. Blowhole's expression went from mock fatigue to confusion just as Kowalski—who'd snuck away from the group and made his way to the upper platform about four minutes ago—pounced down onto him.

Without seeing how it played out, I charged for the lobster threatening Marlene's life and took him and his friend out in the midst of their shock. I whipped around and kicked Rico in the gut as he advanced, causing him to regurgitate a smoke bomb. It was unintentional, but I was glad it happened. Unable to see a thing, I picked Marlene up and took off in a direction seeking clean air and light. When I got clear of the smoke, I laid Marlene down and turned back. The smoke was starting to fan out and I could make out figures stumbling into each other.

This was going to end now.

I turned and saw a lobster minion retreating to bring back reinforcements. I charged after him and took him to the ground.

"Tell me how to stop it!" I ordered into his ear.

"Stop what?!" he asked struggling against my grip.

"The Serum! How do you counteract it?!" I answered.

"You think I know?!"

"Don't give me that! Why wouldn't you?!" I asked pressing his face harder into the cold, concrete floor.

"Only Dr. Blowhole knows! I just work for him! Why would he give valuable information like that to me!?"

I leaned in closer to his face and hissed, "Look, crustacean, I happen to know what Blowhole threatens you with when you question him. Don't think I don't know about that pot of boiling water he keeps in the back. So, unless you want to go for a quick swim, you'd better talk."

For a moment, he looked at me out of the corner of his eye, surveying the seriousness of my expression. He cursed under his breath.

"The trigger word is 'mastermind.' But it only works if it comes from Blowhole's voice pattern," he told me. I nodded.

"Much obliged," I said before I knocked his lights out.

I turned around and saw that the smoke had cleared and my friends were just now realizing that Kowalski was attacking Blowhole and were advancing to help him—Blowhole, I mean. I charged forward, knowing that I only had a few precious seconds to stop them before it was over. As much as I hated doing what I had to do, I had no other alternative. At least, not one that I could fulfill before it was too late. I had to take out all nine of Blowhole's minions.

And by Blowhole's minions, I mean my friends.


	7. Sacrifice

The only way I can even have a chance at ending this is if I try to get them out of the way. If I can't bring myself to fight them, they'll only be another roadblock keeping me from beating Blowhole once and for all. The only thing I could think of to do is leave them out cold until I could figure out what to do.

Now, I may be strong, and I may be fast. But to think that I can just charge straight into this and expect to be able to give a little knock to each of their craniums and expect them to be out long enough for me to do what I needed to do would just be unrealistic and stupid.

So, that's why I went to Rico.

Yes, he was under the influence of the Serum, but that didn't mean he was broken. All I had to do is plant the slightest thought into his mind and give him another good kick to the gut.

When I arrived at the scene, I pushed through the struggle between my friends and Blowhole and tackled Rico away from the group. When he realized what was going on, he turned on me and I struggled to pry him off of my person. When I managed to throw him off, I said, "Rico! Gas mask!"

As soon as the flicker of confusion sparked in his expression, I drove my foot into his gut and a gas mask is exactly what came out. Snatching up the mask, I added, "Chloroform!"

When I tried to deliver another blow to his abdomen, he grabbed my foot and threw me backward unexpectedly. Upon landing on the floor, I involuntarily glanced at the struggle behind me. Blowhole nearly had the situation under control. I found myself hoping that Kowalski could hold them off for just a few more seconds.

Just as Rico started his next attack, I rolled to the side and jumped to my feet. When he once again advanced in my direction, I spun three-sixty on my heel, kicking under his feet and causing him to fall on his backside. Turning my cry of defiance into the name of my desired item from Rico's gut, I drove my fist into his abdomen once again and Rico coughed up a bottle labeled CHCl3. All I had to do was break it into the floor and let the fumes get to the others' minds and leave them out cold. I dove for it and as it met my grasp, I turned back to the events unfolding behind me.

Before I even had time to think, I was staring straight into Private's blank eyes as he drove his fist into my abdomen and I heard Kowalski somewhere behind him scream my name. Past him, I could see that Blowhole had already gotten the situation under control. I felt the gas mask and chloroform fall from my grasp. That's when I realized that Private's fist was still driving into my abdomen. If he didn't hit that hard, then why was my vision starting to fade in and out? Why did I feel all of my strength draining from my body? I looked down and had my questions answered for me. Private wasn't driving his fist into my abdomen.

He was driving a blade into it.

I recognized it as the blade that was previously being held to Marlene's throat. For a moment, I watched as my feathers started to redden even more than they already were. The lacerations that Marlene had made on my flesh were minor, and most of them had already stopped bleeding. But this blade must have gone two or three inches into my body. It took an effort to lift my head again to see Private's face.

His blank eyes were starting to soften, almost as if he was starting to realize what he was doing. He pulled the blade from my stomach—causing me to involuntarily gasp—and took a couple of steps back as the blade fell from his grasp. My knees weakened and I fell to them, putting my right flipper in front of me before I face-planted into the floor. My other flipper wrapped around my abdomen and grasped the opening in my flesh. I couldn't speak. I could barely even breathe. It took every ounce of the strength I had left to even remain awake, let alone upright.

"Skipper…? Wh-What have I done?!" I heard Private's voice say in front of me. At least, I was pretty sure I did. Considering the state I found myself in, I could have hallucinated. "No! Skipper!"

I felt someone grab my shoulders and push me up enough to bring my head up. Through groggy vision, I saw Private. He was still saying things, but they were so muffled by then that I could only make out fragments of words. I tried to respond, but my tongue just sort of flopped around the inside of my beak, unable to gain enough energy for even itself. Private looked at me as if he was trying to make out what I was saying, but quite frankly, even I wasn't even too sure what I was trying to say. Finally, he released me and turned around, leaving me to fall to my side.

I fought to stay awake. I forced my eyes to obey and felt them swivel around, scanning the faces of my other friends. Even though I was barely conscious, I knew exactly what was happening. The looks on their faces were no longer blank. They were a mixture of confusion, shock, and anger, just as Marlene's was when she'd come out of her trance. Then I saw Blowhole, whose wildly appeased eyes were trained on my draining abdomen. He didn't even realize that his brainwashee's were starting to turn on him at first. When he did, he started calling the lobsters for backup, but it was too late. They were already taking out their anger on him.

Lying there on the cold stone, the thoughts that came to my mind freed me of the pain. When I woke Marlene up, it was through romantic love. But when Private drove the blade into me and everyone watched as the life started to drain from my eyes, I broke them free with a different kind of love. We were all a family. And no matter what, when you know you've lost a member of that family, you can feel it. It's a feeling that starts in the center of your heart and escapes through your actions.

Even the lemurs. They get on my last nerves and sometimes all I want to do is knock 'em into next century. They might even feel the same way about me. But we're still family. All of us. The chimps, the badgers, the lemurs, the elephant, the gorillas, and whoever else is back at the zoo. We're probably the craziest, weirdest, most incomprehensible family on the planet, but it's what we are. And we all love each other like one.

I could feel the end cutting closer than it has in a long time. But I was happy. When I saw Private driving the blade into my abdomen and the first of my strength started to leave me, the first thought that crossed my mind was that I'd failed. Blowhole had won, I had lost, and my friends were at his mercy. But when I had the knowledge that I'd freed them of Blowhole's authority and they were giving him what was coming to him, I knew everything was going to be okay. My team—my _brothers—_would get everyone to safety.

I started to see my life flashing before my eyes. I saw the first memories I'd shared with my team and I. I saw the day Private hatched and became our first rookie. I saw the day we arrived at the zoo for the first time. I saw our Madagascar journey, to our circus adventures, and finally re-returning to the zoo.

I saw Marlene's face for the first time all over again. Her kind eyes and her beautiful smile. I felt the first feelings I'd ever started to feel for Marlene again for the first time. I felt the kiss we'd just shared again for the first time.

I've come close to dying before, and never have I experienced my life flash before my eyes like this before. I was seeing all of the good things in my life in a new light. I was experiencing peace. The peace of mind that I'd served my time here on earth, and I'd served it well.

When I thought about Marlene, I struggled to turn on my other side. But I managed. I saw Marlene lying on the ground about fifteen feet away where I'd left her. With the last bit of energy I had, I pushed myself up by my flipper and literally dragged myself forward. It took about a minute to reach her. I felt my ear-holes pop and everything sounded like it was underwater. My heart was pounding with ferocity, fighting to not give out.

When I reached her, I fell once again to my side, perpetually unable to keep myself upright any longer. I reached out and grabbed her shoulder. I just needed to tell her one more time before I went. I needed her to know. With a shake, I was surprised to see her eyes flutter slightly, coming back into reality. When she saw me, her eyes widened and I think she screamed something that sounded like my name. Upon pushing herself upright, she held the side of her head in pain and faltered. Probably from when she took an eight foot drop. She seemed unconcerned about herself though, taking me into her arms and putting her paw on the opening in my abdomen. She was trying to tell me things, but I couldn't make them out. I tried to get my beak to form words.

"I…love…you…Marlene…"

I was unsure if she made out a single word I said, but it still felt good to finally say it to the real Marlene. Suddenly, we were surrounded by everyone else and I could feel someone starting to work at my abdomen to keep me hanging on. But I don't know who it was or what they were doing. My vision was finally going black. The last thing I felt was a smile on my face as the breath left my lungs for the last time.

* * *

"_He's been unconscious for almost two days…I'm getting worried, Kowalski. What if he doesn't wake up?"_

Private?

"_Don't worry, Private. I'll admit, the fact that he died for six minutes when he was in surgery was a bit frightening, but all of his vital signs look fine, now. I haven't seen any complications since we sewed him up. I'm sure he'll be waking up any hour, now."_

Kowalski?

"_Kowalski, do you think he can hear us?"_

I think I am…But how? Aren't I supposed to be dead?

"_It's a possibility, I guess. Though, if he can, that might mean that he's starting to regain consciousness. Of course, we'll never know if he can hear us or not."_

Yes! I can hear you! Wait, I'm just shouting that inside my head, aren't I?

"_I wonder if he'll remember anything. I would really like to know what he said before he went out. It was so hard to understand what he was saying."_

Vaguely…

"_Well, he was barely hanging onto life. It's unlikely that he'll remember much up to the point where you—I mean, he was stabbed."_

Right! I was stabbed! By…Private?

"_Look, Kowalski, it's not a big secret. You can say it. I know I stabbed him. We all do! There's no point in trying to pretend like I didn't when even my conscience won't let me forget it."_

Oh, yeah. Now I remember. Private stabbed me and it snapped everyone out of the influence of Blowhole's Serum. So, I really _did_ love my way out that one! Not in the same way, but still, in your face, Blowhole!

"_Private, you had no control over your thoughts or your actions at the moment. If anything, you saved his life. If you haven't triggered the emotional connection we all share with Skipper, he wouldn't have been saved."_

"_I guess that's true. I just wish he'd wake up so I could tell him I'm sorry."_

No, Private! You don't need to apologize! Ugh! Why can't I get myself to wake up?!

"_Hey, guys. Any change?"_

Marlene…?

"_Oh, hello, Marlene. No. He's still unconscious. How are you? Have you remembered anything yet?"_

"_No. Everything from before I went under the influence of that Serum and ahead is a big blank. That fall really gave me a bad case of amnesia. I don't think I'll ever remember."_

She forgot? About…Everything? Even our kiss?

"_It's probably not that big of a deal. All that really happened was that Skipper somehow snapped you out of your trance, then he had to face us, the lemurs, the chimps, and the badgers on his own. I don't think he would've made it without my jumping in to help him."_

Thanks, Kowalski. I'll remember never to make you my wing man.

"_After that," _Kowalski continued, "_Private stabbed him and, well, you know the rest."_

There was a brief silence that followed. All I wanted to do was wake up and tell them that everything was okay. That I was okay, and that I didn't blame them for anything they did. It was all Blowhole's fault.

Finally, I started to be able to do more than hear. I felt soft cushion under my head and stone under my body. A warm cloth enveloped my body and I felt my flipper twitching when I commanded it to push myself up. It wasn't doing what I wanted it to, but at least it was trying.

My first disadvantage of my new-found sense was that it came with an agonizing pain in my abdomen. It felt as if there was a big rock embedded into my skin. Luckily, the pain caused me to release a moan that finally let them know that I was waking up.

"Hey, he's waking up!" I heard Private say.

"No, Private, be gentle with him," I heard Kowalski say. I felt someone touch my shoulder.

And finally, I felt my eyes part slightly. The light hitting my retinas caused me to close them again, but at least I knew that I had the ability to open them when they adjusted.

"Skipper, can you hear me?" I heard Marlene say. I tried to say yes, but all that came out was another moan of pain.

Gradually, my eyes adjusted to the light and fluttered open. First, I saw the bottom of the bunk above me. I slowly swiveled my head and eyes down to see Kowalski at the foot of my bed. Private was to next to him, Rico was behind Private, and mere inches from my head, Marlene stood there with her paw on my shoulder. If I wasn't in so much pain, and I didn't feel so weak, I would've hopped right out of my bunk and hugged each of them with the joy that they were okay. I knew they would be, but it's different when it actually happens. When you know you've won.

Marlene smiled. "Welcome back, Skipper."

* * *

For the next few days, I was completely immobilized. Well, I could move with help, but it was extremely painful. But the boys took good care of me. Marlene came in and out throughout the day, helping out if the team had a mission to complete or to just be here next to me.

Kowalski explained to me that he wasn't sure why he wasn't influenced by the Serum. He assumed that Blowhole got the syringes mixed up and injected him with the vaccination instead. Of course, he also had to throw in the possibility that he was just too smart to be affected by it. He told me that I'd died for six minutes during surgery, but with the help of Rico and Private, he was able to revive me before I was gone for good. He also told me that Blowhole was apparently waiting to watch us get torn to bits by our friends one-by-one, which is why he hadn't turned any of the others onto them. I was happy that he chose me to go first—otherwise, things might have turned out differently than they did.

Shortly after I awoke, Ringtail and his subjects dropped by and Ringtail's reaction to my consciousness was claiming that he was an 'uncle's monkey' and declaring a 'Get Well Soon' party for me. I gladly declined and kicked him out of HQ. Ah, just like the old days. Of course by 'old days' I mean last week.

It took about a week for me to be able to get around all on my own. Though, my team insisted that I still steer clear of missions until I was completely healed. As difficult as it was, I couldn't argue.

During cute and cuddly routines, all I could do was smile and wave. I told Kowalski that if I didn't get any exercise, I wouldn't work up any strength. But he convinced me that going for a swim this soon might cause my stitches to reopen. So, we decided that waiting at least one more week first would be the safest thing to do.

You're probably wondering if I told Marlene about what happened in Blowhole's lair. The answer is no. I wanted to. I still do. I want to so badly it almost _kills _me not to. But this comes back to why I never told her about how I feel in the first place.

I have enemies. A lot of enemies. Enemies that will do whatever it takes to make me let my guard down, just as I did in Blowhole's lair. If there's even just the knowledge that I have feelings for Marlene, her life is at risk.

I know Blowhole figured it out, but I made sure that one of the missions my team went on while I was bedridden was making sure he didn't remember anything from his last scheme by using our Sonic Brain Eraser. They kept wanting to know why, but I just told them that it would make me feel better if he didn't. They respected my wishes and never questioned me on the matter any further.

Back to why I haven't told Marlene. I realize that it's kind of a clichéd reason, maybe even a stupid reason. But I love Marlene too much to put her life at risk, no matter how much I want her. Maybe in the future I can stop being afraid and work up the guts to tell her. A part of me is actually counting on it.

I don't even know if she feels the same way. I know my kiss brought her back, but that doesn't necessarily mean that she loves me…Does it?

Well, the point is that I can't protect Marlene from my enemies all the time. There are going to be times when I have to run after the fiend that decided to pick the wrong person to lay their fingers on. Really, I guess it doesn't matter if Marlene and I are an item or not. Her association with me is enough to make herself a target. Sometimes I still question if this is the real reason I haven't confessed. What if it's just an excuse that I make to myself because deep down I'm afraid things just won't work between us?

Honestly, my biggest fear is that I'm not good enough for her. Marlene's so full of life and I'm always going on missions and protecting the city to the best of my ability. Marlene deserves someone who can be at her side at all times and not have to run off every day to obtain justice on wrongdoers. She needs someone who can be there if she needs a shoulder. Someone who can catch her if she falls. Someone to care for her in sickness. I mean, I would do all of those things in a heartbeat without a second thought. But what if her desire for someone to be there comes when I'm on the other side of the world? It's not like she can call my cell phone and pull me out of a mission. I'd do it gladly if I had a cell phone, but unfortunately, penguins weren't made with pockets. And if even if I was, it could be too late when I arrived.

One day I'll tell her. When I can understand my heart and get myself to be man enough, I'll tell her. I just hope it isn't too late when I do.

Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt in my mind about my feelings for Marlene. I'm in love with her and I can admit that much to myself.

It's not so bad when I think about it. I can still see Marlene everyday. I can still be there for her most of the time. I can still see her peppy smile and hear her beautiful laugh. I still hold the privilege of being her most trusted friend, or so she tells me. I still have my own little secret world where I remember the way her lips felt against my beak, and the way they tasted. And I can still be the one that has to protect her. There's a lot of things in my life that I know that I have to do, but protecting Marlene is by far at the top of the list. Marlene is my other half.

To sum it up in one word, I suppose you could say my life is like a curse that needs to be broken. And that curse is protecting Marlene. But it is also my destiny, whether she wants it to be or not. I hate having to hide my feelings for her, but I'll do anything to keep her safe.

So, I guess that's it. You've heard my story. Maybe you understand my point on why I haven't told Marlene, or maybe you understand it and think it's the stupidest thing you've ever heard and think I should just go for it. I can't say I don't agree.

But when you're in my line of work, some sacrifices have to be made. The sacrifices can be painful, and in more ways than one, but you just have to know what's best and believe that one day you can overcome them.

I guess all that's left to say now is over and out. And for the sake of Marlene, you didn't see anything.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thank you for all of the reviews! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter of _Skipper's Curse_! If you have any questions, suggestions, or additional comments, or whatever, I'll be on PM until September 17.


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